System and method for management of resources in emergency situations

Abstract

Provided is a method for designing, managing and executing emergency response plans. Specific plan and resources are defined and a defined plan is executed either automatically or manually according to pre-determined or “real-time” parameter definitions. An executed plan notifies, by various user-defined means, actively or pre-defined parties in a near simultaneous fashion of security communications, notifications, directives and/or information. One embodiment of the system includes a component that requires a notified party to acknowledge a particular notification event by responding with a personal identification number (PIN) or calling a specified telephone number and entering the PIN. The system enables parties to be organized into groups based upon member profiles. Individual parties can be assigned to sub-groups, enabling specifically designed communications to go to the parties of any particular sub-group. Alternative means of contact can be prioritized and utilized either simultaneously or sequentially until contact with a particular party is achieved.

1. A method of defining, managing and executing emergency response plans, comprising the steps of:
 storing profile information in a memory of a computing device, wherein the profile information includes personnel information;  
 storing message information in the memory;  
 defining one or more emergency response plans, each response plan definition comprising the step of creating one or more events, each event including at least one action correlated to personnel associated with the personnel information;  
 providing a user interface for the selection of one of the emergency response plans for execution; and  
 executing a selected emergency response plan, wherein the execution of the plan comprises the steps of: 
 executing the one or more events associated with the selected emergency response plan;  
 displaying an execution command center corresponding to the selected emergency response plan; and  
 displaying status information corresponding to the executed events.  
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more events is correlated to a required action and the execution of the emergency response plan further comprising the step of:
 transmitting an order to perform the required action to the personnel.  
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the execution of the emergency response plan further comprises the steps of:
 receiving a confirmation from the personnel indicating that the required action has been performed; and  
 displaying the confirmation as a part of the status information.  
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more events is correlated to a message of the message information and the execution of the emergency response plan further comprising the step of:
 transmitting the message to the personnel.  
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the execution of the emergency response plan further comprises the steps of:
 receiving a confirmation from the personnel indicating that the transmitted message has been received; and  
 displaying the confirmation as a part of the status information.  
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the message is stored in a text format, converted to an audio format and transmitted to the personnel in the audio format. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the profile information also includes location information and each emergency response plan is associated with one or more locations associated with the location information. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the profile information also includes emergency services information and additional resources information. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 providing a second user interface for enabling the generation of one or more reports corresponding to the emergency response plans.  
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the execution of an emergency response plan can be initiated remotely by entering one or more codes via a telephone connection. 
     
     
       11. A system for defining, managing and executing emergency response plans, comprising:
 a computing system;  
 profile information stored on the computing system, wherein the profile information includes personnel information;  
 message information stored on the computing system;  
 one or more emergency response plans, each response plan comprising one or more events, each event including at least one action correlated to personnel associated with the personnel information;  
 a user interface for the selection of one of the emergency response plans for execution;  
 an execution command center corresponding to the selected emergency response plan; and  
 logic, executed on the computing system, for executing a selected emergency response plan, comprising: 
 logic for executing the one or more events associated with the selected emergency response plan; and  
 logic for displaying status in the execution command center information corresponding to the executed events.  
 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more events is correlated to a required action and the logic for executing the emergency response plan further comprising:
 logic for transmitting an order to perform the required action to the personnel.  
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the logic for executing the emergency response plan further comprises:
 logic for receiving a confirmation from the personnel indicating that the required action has been performed; and  
 logic for displaying the confirmation as a part of the status information.  
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the one or more events is correlated to a message of the message information and the logic for executing the emergency response plan further comprising:
 logic for transmitting the message to the personnel.  
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the logic for executing the emergency response plan further comprises:
 logic for receiving a confirmation from the personnel indicating that the transmitted message has been received; and  
 logic for displaying the confirmation as a part of the status information.  
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the message is stored in a text format, converted to an audio format and transmitted to the personnel in the audio format. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the profile information also includes location information and each emergency response plan is associated with one or more locations associated with the location information. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the profile information also includes emergency services information and additional resources information. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a second user interface for enabling the generation of one or more reports corresponding to the emergency response plans.  
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the execution of an emergency response plan can be initiated remotely by entering one or more codes via a telephone connection. 
     
     
       21. A computer program product for defining, managing and executing emergency response plans, comprising:
 a recording medium;  
 means, stored on the recording medium, for storing profile information, wherein the profile information includes personnel information;  
 means, stored on the recording medium, for storing message information;  
 means, stored on the recording medium, for defining one or more emergency response plans, each response plan comprising one or more events, each event including at least one action correlated to personnel associated with the personnel information;  
 means, stored on the recording medium, for generating a user interface for the selection of one of the emergency response plans for execution;  
 means, stored on the recording medium, for generating an execution command center corresponding to the selected emergency response plan; and  
 means, stored on the recording medium, for executing a selected emergency response plan, comprising: 
 logic for executing the one or more events associated with the selected emergency response plan; and  
 logic for displaying status in the execution command center information corresponding to the executed events.  
 
 
     
     
       22. The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the one or more events is correlated to a required action and the means for executing the emergency response plan further comprises:
 logic for transmitting an order to perform the required action to the personnel.  
 
     
     
       23. The computer program product of  claim 22 , wherein the means for executing the emergency response plan further comprises:
 logic for receiving a confirmation from the personnel indicating that the required action has been performed; and  
 logic for displaying the confirmation as a part of the status information.  
 
     
     
       24. The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the one or more events is correlated to a message of the message information and the means for executing the emergency response plan further comprises:
 logic for transmitting the message to the personnel.  
 
     
     
       25. The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the means for executing the emergency response plan further comprises:
 logic for receiving a confirmation from the personnel indicating that the transmitted message has been received; and  
 logic for displaying the confirmation as a part of the status information.  
 
     
     
       26. The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the message is stored in a text format, converted to an audio format and transmitted to the personnel in the audio format. 
     
     
       27. The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the profile information includes location information and each emergency response plan is associated with one or more locations associated with the location information. 
     
     
       28. The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the profile information includes emergency services information and additional resources information. 
     
     
       29. The computer program product of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 means, stored on the recording medium for generating a second user interface for enabling the generation of one or more reports corresponding to the emergency response plans.  
 
     
     
       30. The computer program product of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 means, recorded on the recording medium, for enabling the execution of an emergency response plan remotely by entering one or more codes via a telephone connection.